Breastfeeding and working...?

Question

I plan on breastfeeding while I work. We have bought a breast pump already and many bottles. I was wondering if you have to be very careful when sealing breast milk that goes in the freezer. 1. Do you have to make sure to get all the air out? It doesn't mention that on any of the sites that I've gone to about disposable liners. I hear that Gerber has liners that have a ziploc so milk can be easily stored. 2. Will Gerber liners fit Playtex and Avent bottles?
Also... 3. How are you supposed to warm breastmilk? Are you just supposed to leave it running under warm water until it's the right temperature? Can you dip the bag in boiling water once it's thawed to heat it?
I'm so confused about how to store and heat breastmilk.

Also... if I start to pump milk now.. at 36 weeks.. will my breasts begin to leak constantly? Could that cause premature labor? I woud like to get it going now so I always know we have lots to feed the baby with. I REALLLY dont want to have to pump at work.

Answer 1

http://www.medela.com They have a breastmilk storage chart that you should print up and put on your fridge as well as a copy with your pump, even if it's not medela. It has the proper storage times for fresh milk in different scenarios, as well as for thawed milk.

Warming it, you should either thaw it overnight or over a few hours in the fridge if you don't know when it's going to be needed, but use it within 24 hours that way. If you plan on using it immediately, place it, still sealed, in a glass/jar/bowl of warm water. You may have to change the water halfway through, but this should take about 10 minutes to totally thaw and warm up. Use that within a few hours, I am not sure how many but it may be only 1 hour. Check the website. There is no need to boil breastmilk to heat it, warm water will do just fine and get the perfect temperature (but check anyway before feeding baby). Boiling water can also damage plastic bags.
DO NOT MICROWAVE breastmilk. It changes the consistency of it but more importantly microwaving heats unevenly so there may be scalding "hot spots". This goes for any fluid you warm up for your baby.

pumping and storing it shouldn't be a problem in the first week or two, you'll be making colostrum the first few days anyway until your milk comes in. You don't want to start pumping while you're still pregnant, because you will want your baby to nurse as soon as he/she is born for several reasons, and if you have stored milk they will be satisfied with that and not nurse. First, the baby has a strong sucking reflex at birth and should nurse as soon after delivery as is medically safe (ie no complications). Second, the nursing will cause uterine contractions in you which will help your uterus get back down to a normal size much quicker. Third, you don't want to get the baby used to a bottle nipple until they have established a good nursing routine, even then make sure somebody else gives baby the bottle not you. My son refused a bottle from me when he knew I had the fresh stuff "on tap" :0)

I used the plastic bottles and the little glass bottles with water in them that they gave me at the hospital and in the NICU. Fat cells cling to the side of plastic, and newborns need those fat cells since they don't eat much it's about quality not quantity. People will say don't use glass because it can shatter, but I never filled the bottles more than 3/4 full and never had one break. Plus they're the perfect size (3 oz) reuseable, clean easier, dishwasher safe, and FREE!! You can dump and use the formula bottles they send you home with too. Plus, it's what they use in NICU's so it is a proven method. Plastic bags can be convenient, but you still have to use a bottle to pump and then pour and they're messy and I found them to be quite a hassle.

Good luck and if you have any questions later, feel free to email me via my contact link on my profile. You'll do fine and congratulations on your baby and your choice to breastfeed, stick with it even if it's tricky at first it is SOOOO worth it

Answer 2

I'll try to answer your questions in the order that you asked them:

1) Yes, try to get most of the air out. The ziploc bags are pretty nice.
2) Not sure about the liners fitting the bottles. What I did was pump into the bottles and then pour the milk into the freezer bags. In the beginning I saved 2 oz per bag so that very little would be wasted. Then as baby grew I saved 4 oz per bag.
3) You can boil some water, place the frozen bag of breast milk in it and let it sit on the counter until it thaws and warms up enough. Best to thaw breast milk some time before you will need it, as it takes a while, and you can just warm it up when needed. Thawed breast milk is good in the fridge for 24 hours.
4) Your breasts will not really start producing milk until after baby arrives. Yes, constant pumping could cause premature labor. It's not the most enjoyable thing to pump at work, but it will be the only way that your milk supply with stay up. You must pump often enough during the time that you are separated from your baby to stimulate adequate production.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

You should NOT start pumping now. It won't do anything to help bring in your supply. Right now, you only have colostrum and that won't change until after the birth. Colostrum is thick and sticky and difficult to pump. It also only comes in small quantities. The shift to mature milk is hormonally driven. Your milk will come in 3-5 days after the birth and then you'll begin to have more luck pumping. Pumping now COULD also cause you to have contractions, so it's really not a great idea.

I pumped for my first child. If you are using storage bags, try to get most of the air out and then close it up . I would lay them pretty flat to freeze them and then move the bags inside another hard-sided container. I also put several of the frozen breastmilk storage bags inside a freezer bag for extra protection. Make sure to store frozen milk in the back middle of the freezer and NOT in the door.

Don't freeze the milk if you will use it within 7 days. Freezing and thawing can damage some of the good properties of the milk. (Although it's still better than formula.) If you'll use it within a week, just keep it in the back of your fridge, again, away from the door.

Go to the link below and print out the chart on storage and put it on your fridge door for reference.

To thaw frozen milk, you can place it in the fridge if it will be a while before you use it. You'll need to use it within 24 hours of when it was thawed. You can float it in a coffee cup or bowl of hot water or run hot water over it. NEVER microwave breastmilk! You can destroy some of the good properites of the milk AND you could scald the baby with hotspots. You'll need to gently swirl the bottle around to remix the milk as the cream may rise to the top after storage.

BY THE WAY -
It is NOT a certainty that you would go into PTL if you started pumping now the way some people are saying. It is just a *possibility* but it is not *likely* unless the conditions in your body are already shifting towards being ready for labor. I've actually nursed an older sibling through pregnancy TWICE with no problems and the new babies were born healthy and on time. It takes *at least* 20 minutes of nipple stimulation to really do anything to try to induce labor, and, again, your body has to be ready for it! BUT.....since pumping colostrum isn't going to do anything to build up your supply or build you a freezer stash, I'd still say it's better NOT to do it.

Answer 4

I don't know that it's possible to try to pump this early, but I would strongly advise against it. I've heard that nipple stimulation can bring on labor. Believe me, once your milk comes in, you will have control over how much you want your body to produce. In the beginning your body doesn't have any idea how much to produce because it's all brand new. After you've been breastfeeding for a while, your body will adapt to your baby's requirements (the body works on supply & demand). Therefore, you can pump after every feeding so your body will produce more. If you are taking a short maternity leave, you will want to think about pumping at work to keep your supply up. If you have a dual breast pump, all you need is 10 to 15 minutes. I did it for a year and had no problems. Many pumps have a battery pack or a car adapter. I have pumped in my car before - no big deal.

Also, take a breastfeeding class at your hospital. They should offer one. And keep the lactation specialist's number on hand to answer any questions that come up.

Breastmilk can be stored in the refridgerator for up to 48 hours. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months an up to 6 months in a deep freeze. To unthaw, take out a day before and put it in the refridgerator to thaw. However, you can run it under hot water or place it in a cup of hot water to thaw. Never put breastmilk in the microwave! Once it's thawed, pour it in the bottle before heating it. Don't heat it in the bag. I recommend the avent bottle warming - it's worth the $15 at Babies R Us.

Answer 5

First of all I've never heard of anyone pumping breast before delivery....I don't think it'd work very well, as it's not 'milk' yet. For other answers to your question just look up some info on the net like http://babyparenting.about.com/cs/pumping/a/pumping.htm
I'm sure you'll do just fine. Warm the frozen milk by running under warm water...It doesn't have to be 'hot' to drink it...just a little warm.

Answer 6

If you buy Lansinoh bottle liners for breast milk it will tell you all you need to know.
You will not be able to pump now.. your milk hasn't even come in, and it won't until your colostrum has come through. You can get ahead on your breastmilk as soon as your milk comes in. Store it then, it's not like you're going back to work the day after the baby is born. You have time, so be patient.

Answer 7

I am a working mother who is breast feeding and yes it is a challenge but it works. I use the lanolin brand to store my breast milk. I do release the air in the bag.

DO not place the bags in boiling water. My fiance did this and it melted on him. LOL. A waste of milk too. But we learn as we go. He usually puts it in really warm water to warm it up. It works really well. I hope I helped some.

Answer 8

answer to question 3. you should let the milk run under water for a few minutes but you you should not put in in boiling water...it kills some thing in the milk..(dont remember what the doc. said)but you should never boil the milk.

and yes if you started pumping now you would go into preterm labor.. if you have more question find a breasting feeding class..your doc or the hospital will have more info. you will be fine and shouldnt worry aobut having enough milk...but if your thats worried aobut not hiving milk...talk with your doc.

Answer 9

Your milksupply does not start till after birth so you cannot do this at 36 weeks gestation.

Stimulation to your breasts before birth will cause you to go into labor...I am reading a Baby Center book right now.

You will need to talk to a lactation nurse about your concerns which one will be provided to you at the hospital when you deliver

Answer 10

Have you contacted the Laleche League? They are the experts on anything having to do with breast feeding. They really helped me when my daughter was born. Link is below. Good luck! You are a wise mother to feed your baby breast milk, it's the best thing you can do to help your child develop properly and have a good immune system.